For the first time ever this is now indication of a timeline in a land claim case involving local First Nations.
The land claim was filed in April of 1994 by the Chippewas of Nawash and the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation who claim to own the shoreline and waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron.
The town of Southampton, the town of South Bruce Peninsula, the counties of Grey and Bruce, the province of Ontario, the Dominion of Canada, and several other lower tier municipalities in Grey Bruce were named as joint defendants.
Damages are alleged to total 92 billion dollars.
Saugeen Shores Treasurer Lori Sweiger recently presented Saugeen Shores Council with a status update on the litigation.
She says the update is required quarterly and this is the first update she’s ever given that includes a tentative timeline.
Sweiger says the claim is currently in the Discovery Stage, with each party providing a list of questions for the opposing side.
The provincial and federal governments must respond by December 31st 2010, while the municipal defendants are to provide their responses by April 30th, 2011.
Sweiger says the earliest this claim could go before the courts is September 30th, 2011.